17 Hens - how many eggs?

[bwahk]

So I have 17 hens and a rooster, I live in the low desert of California. It was a cold winter so for awhile I didn't have any eggs... it got up to the 50s and I started averaging about 3 - 4 a day. Now its getting warm and I'm only getting 1 steady egg per day.

Is this normal? My girls are all about 7 - 9 months old.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The chicken is dependent upon hours of sunlight for top laying. They, just like other birds in nature, tend to follow the seasons and hours of sunlight. Temperatures are not all that influential.

As the days now grow longer, your egg production will rise. Just be sure they aren't laying off site somewhere.

 

[bwahk]

Thats awesome advice, thank you. I'm thinking now (given that), its because the bulb burnt out last week over where the nesting boxes are, and the other light is on the other side of the pen.

 

[ceeceeholt]

Nov through Jan was tough as most girls molted, but since Feb we have had very high egg days, getting 26 out of 35 birds. Seems the colder it is the better they lay. I have never given extra light in the winter months and all seem to do fine except this was our first molt and that was not fun. Good luck, they'll kick it back in

 

[lagpmgdsls]

Can hens lay more than once a day?

 

[bwahk]

Nov through Jan was tough as most girls molted, but since Feb we have had very high egg days, getting 26 out of 35 birds.  Seems the colder it is the better they lay.  I have never given extra light in the winter months and all seem to do fine except this was our first molt and that was not fun.  Good luck, they'll kick it back in

Thanks

 

[bwahk]

So now I'm only getting a couple eggs a week instead of two a day. Could it be I'm not giving them enough feed? They freerange during the day and I feed them seed at night. I've also been sure to let them out at dawn and they come in by themselves at night. Could they be sick? I'm not seeing any symptoms.

Ideas?

 

[Impress]

You feed them seed? Like, a balanced grain mix or just scratch? Do they get laying pellets?

Also, how early do you let them out? Could they be hiding the eggs from you?

 

[bwahk]

They get a mix of 75% egg crumble to 25% scratch. They go out when I get up for work typically 5 - 6 am. My mom thinks the could be laying outside, if so I haven't been able to find the hiding spot yet.

 

[bwahk]

After spending some time with the today I'm wondering if they have a cold or something. A few have runny poo and my roo is sneezing a little.